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Hospitals impose strict visitation rules in effort to curtail flu spread

The Fort Hamilton Hospital won’t allow children younger than 14 to visit the hospital’s family birthing area as H1N1 flu cases rise.

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By Tiffany Y. Latta, Staff Writer Updated 12:59 AM Wednesday, September 23, 2009

HAMILTON — People suffering from flulike symptoms and children younger than 14 have been asked to stay away from some area hospitals to ward off the spread of the H1N1 virus.

Citing the rising number of residents suffering from the flu virus, area hospitals instituted the visitor restrictions this week as a precautionary measure to “keep their patients safe,” said Tonda Francis, vice president of the Greater Cincinnati Health Council.

Francis and area hospital officials said they typically limit visits from people suffering from flulike symptoms during the flu season in October, but are alerting the public earlier than usual because of the H1N1 virus, commonly called swine flu, that has become a pandemic.

Fort Hamilton Hospital officials have prohibited children younger than 14 from visiting Fort Hamilton’s family birthing area as of this week.

Vierling said additional restrictions may be added if the spread of the virus increases in schools or if the hospital is advised to do so by the city health department.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s restrictions are even tougher:

• Only parents/guardians or other principal caregivers may visit patients in the inpatient units. Visits by siblings or others for special circumstances must be arranged in advance with the inpatient unit leadership.

• No more than two visitors per patient should be in patient rooms at any one time.

• Individuals with a fever of 100 degrees or higher, cough, cold or stomach virus symptoms must not visit. If there is a chance visitors could be coming down with something, they are asked not to visit.

• Only those children seeking evaluation or treatment at Cincinnati Children’s should be at the hospital.

• If possible, siblings should not be at the hospital for patients undergoing same-day surgery or for outpatient visits; and children in public waiting areas must be supervised at all times.

• Hospital officials also said toys in waiting areas will be removed to prevent the spreading of germs between patients; and parents will be asked to bring activities from home to occupy their children during outpatient visits.

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"Thank goodness" you are exactly right.I work in the critical care area of a local hospital and the "powers that be" allow everyone from newborns on up to visit 24 hours a day. There is absolutely no regard for the well-being of critcally ill patients or the staff caring for them. I apologize if this sounds disrespectful but the visitors have no common sense when it comes to limiting their visits to just a short time. It's all about pleasing the public not looking out for what's best for the pt.

mma
3:17 PM, 9/23/2009

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Is it true about a young adult who works in Oxford just died from swine flu? I just heard about this, but don't know if confirmed.

worried
11:27 AM, 9/23/2009

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I certainly hope the hospitals do a better job of enforcing this policy than they do with their so-called "smoke-free campus" policy. You have to wade through the smokers, including some staff, to get in the door at the hospital. It's better not to have a policy than to have one that is not enforced....

cda
9:24 AM, 9/23/2009

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Not accepting comments about fighting in schools. It's just like bullying. When teacher turns away it happens. When I was in school the popular kids would set goons onto kids they didn't like to get them out of the way. That way they got ahead. There was also rampant cheating which caught the valadictorian, salutorian, etc. but they were part of the popular crowd and no discipline was applied. The policy on fighting is punish both but I wonder if the administrators know about the hit squad?

Jeffrey John Hodapp
9:24 AM, 9/23/2009

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We should practice this policy at all times. Why visit someone when you have a fever or cough Stay home. Not only are you passing germs to friend or loved ones but to the others you encounter. Please think of others.

thank goodness
9:00 AM, 9/23/2009

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